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NW School Board BlogAuditor General's Report on SD#40 Bizco
I have received several calls and emails regarding the Auditor-General's report on the School District Business Company. Most are inquiries as to what the report states and what my thoughts are regarding the report. Let me state out front, that the report corroborates alot of what I, Trustees Goring and Graham, and many members of the community have been saying for years. Just a few random thoughts: It was the lack of information from the Bizco that caused Trustee Jim Goring and I to proceed with a Freedom of Information request for the Business Company. The hoops that we had to go through were appalling, the disrespect and the antipathy substantial. The AG's report confirms that the School Board is, indeed, entitled to the kinds of information that some of us were seeking. As Trustees, we have a fiduciary responsibility to assess and minimize risk to the School Board. The AG's report lays out four areas of concern: 1. Governance Relationship with SD40BC. 2. Agency Relationship Risk. 3. Appointment of SD40BC Board Members. 4. Risk of Conflict of Interest. It will be interesting to see how the Board chooses to proceed with the report. The notion of just moving forward with the recommendations is not acceptable. People need to be held accountable for actions that were taken. As the AG's report identifies, there were many decisions made and actions taken that were ill advised, and many of these were pointed out over the years, and simply, points made were ignored. There are many issues that still remain to be cleared up. Stay tuned. Here's the AG's report. Let me know what you think, or what your concerns are. School Boards and Strategic Planning
Strategic Planning at S.D 40.During my three years on the Board of Education in New Westminster, there has been sporadic discussion about developing a strategic plan. The Superintendant in New Westminster, has often spoken to the need for one. For whatever reason, lack of resolve, lack of resources, it simply has never been brought to fruition. In my opinion, we need to find common ground to correct this, support staff and find the will and the resources to develop a strategic plan. It should be recognized that strategic planning is not a panacea to ensure the best possible outcomes. But I think it can safely be said that without a strategic plan, the best possible outcomes will not be achieved. All too often, school board members are like firefighters on the ground, battling the flames when they should be in a helicopter above the fire, able to see how extensive the blaze is, which way the wind is blowing and where the resources need to be deployed. The Need for a Strategic PlanStrategic Planning is a must for an organization, regardless if it is in the for-profit or not-for-profit sector. This holds true for School Boards as much as for any other organization.
Saskatchewan School Boards Association - School Board Mission, Vision and Planning. What is a strategic Plan?Strategic planning is a collaborative process by which an organization determines its optimal future. Strategic planning involves understanding the bigger context, determining the board’s goals and strategies, setting relevant policy, allocating resources and monitoring progress towards realization of the board’s mission and vision. It is one of the most significant leadership roles of a Board of Trustees. A good Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) provides:
Ontario School Trustees Org. Why is Strategic Planning Important?
Ontario School Trustees Org. I wish to acknowledge the the Ontario District School Boards Org. for use of their material. Their entire document can be viewed by going to: http://modules.ontarioschooltrustees.org/en/read/the-strategic-role-and-multi-year-strategic-planning I would also like to acknowledge the Saskatchewan School Boards Association for use of their material. Their entire document can be viewed by going to: http://www.saskschoolboards.ca/educationservices/modules/Module_3_Board_Vision_Mission_and_Planning.pdf Conflict of Interest - revisited, again
Six out of seven trustees in conflict?Both the Record and the NewsLeader carried stories about Trustees being in a conflict of interest. Interesting development, indeed! I would like to say, as I have many times before, there is nothing, didley squat, wrong with a conflict of interest. It happens all of the time. It's one of the reasons why we have seven trustees. There is something very wrong, however, with an undeclared conflict of interest.
When I first declared myself in conflict, three years ago, over the fact that my daughter was an on-call SEA (Her employment preceeded my becoming a Trustee BTW), I was called silly, grandstanding and politicing. Irony of ironies, and to illustrate that all things are possible, the Trustee that made those observations, is now, at times, absenting himself from discussions for reasons of COI. Allow the Board of Education time to work this out. It may be years or decades too late, but it is headed in the right direction.
Inaugural Meeting -Dec.6, 2011
Three Trustees attend last meetingPrior to the Inaugural meeting, the last meeting of the outgoing board will be held. The meeting also marks the last meeting for Trustees Atkinson, Watt and Goring. They are to be congratulated for their contributions to the School board and to their community. I wish them well in future endeavors. I am sure they will continue to stay involved in one way or another. Democracy -Taken for Granted
There was approximately a 25% turnout rate in Saturday's civic election in New Westminster.We have a lot to learn from the folks in this picture. People in Egypt are willing to put their own safety and security on the line to ensure that democracy takes roots in that country. Regardless of whether it is the politicians, the politics or the electorate. or a combination of all of these, there is something fundamentally flawed in how we choose our representatives and in how we exercise our right to vote. The overwhelming feeling that I get as I listen to people, is that they feel that it makes no difference whether they vote or not. Simply put, they have lost hope in the political process. I find it striking that election day for the local level of politics comes so close after Remembrance Day, where so many men and women are honoured for the sacrifice they made in the defense of freedom and democracy.
When you least expect it
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